Top 10 New Dynamics 365 Business Central Features (and Some Not So New Ones Too!)
Dynamics 365 Business Central is constantly evolving, introducing new tools and fine-tuning often overlooked features to unlock opportunities for workflow optimization.
In this blog, we’re highlighting 10 Business Central capabilities —some newly released and others more established yet quietly impactful —that can streamline your processes, uncover hidden efficiencies, and maximize the value of your investment.
10 Newer Dynamics 365 Business Central Features to Streamline Processes!
Whether you’re just beginning your BC journey or are already well-versed, we hope you will find something here that could take your experience to the next level.
Let’s kick things off with a feature that’s easy to put to use right away.
Drag and Drop Attachments Directly into BC
Attaching supporting documents to transactions or master records in BC doesn’t have to be a hassle. With the drag-and-drop feature, you can quickly add files, like invoices, receipts, or contracts, directly from your desktop, email, or scanner into BC.
For example, when you receive an invoice via email, open the corresponding purchase invoice or vendor card in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Then, drag the attachment from your email and drop it into the window. The file will be immediately uploaded and linked to that record, saving time and eliminating unnecessary steps. This works seamlessly with sales documents, purchase documents, and master records such as vendor and customer cards.
Master Keyboard Shortcuts to Navigate Faster
If you’re someone who prefers speed and efficiency over clicking through menus, keyboard shortcuts in BC are a game-changer. With just a few key combinations, you can access pages, perform actions, and reduce the need for repetitive clicks.
Start by selecting the question mark icon (?) in the top-right corner of BC, then click on "Keyboard Shortcuts."
You’ll get a full list of available shortcuts, organized by function. For example:
- Press Alt + Q to quickly open the "Tell Me" search bar and type in a page or action you want to access.
- Use F6 to jump straight to the section of the line on a document.
- Tab and Shift + Tab help you navigate forward and backward through fields.
- Alt + Right Arrow brings up lookups, like the full customer list.
These types of shortcuts may seem small, but together they can save you a surprising amount of time during day-to-day tasks and there are many more to explore.
Use Web Services to Easily Export Data to Excel or Power BI
With this feature, you can extract data from BC without relying on the Excel connector or building a full Power BI Model. Web Services is a flexible and efficient way to access BC data using OData feeds with no development required.
To get started, search for "Web Services" using the magnifying glass icon in BC. From there, you’ll see a list of ready-made pages and queries, such as customer ledger entries, that are exposed as web service endpoints. Copy the unique OData URL and use it to connect to Excel or Power BI for seamless data analysis.
For example, to bring customer ledger entries into Excel:
- Copy the OData URL from the Web Services page.
- In Excel, go to Data > Get Data > From Other Sources > From OData Feed.
- Paste the URL, connect, and load the data.
- From there, you can transform it or build reports, like a pivot table that breaks down sales by customer and posting date.
This gives you access to near real-time data without exporting files or manually refreshing reports.
Organize and Automate Month-End Close with User Tasks
Streamline your month-end close with BC’s User Tasks feature, which allows you to create, assign, and automate recurring tasks across your organization. By setting up specific tasks such as reconciliations or posting accruals, you can ensure that nothing gets overlooked during the close.
Start by searching for "User Tasks" in BC. From here, you can create individual steps for your month-end close, such as reconciling bank accounts or posting accruals. Each task can include details and a due date, and you can assign them to a specific user or user group. You can also organize tasks into categories such as Period Close, FP&A, or Inventory, making it easier to manage tasks across teams.
To take it further, you can set up recurrences, so these tasks automatically regenerate at the start of each month or defined interval. This reduces manual overhead and ensures no step in your close process is forgotten.
Save Time with Bookmarks
If you're constantly searching for the same pages in Business Central, bookmarks are a simple but powerful way to speed up your workflow. Once you identify your core pages, you can pin the pages you use the most directly to your homepage for quick access.
To bookmark a page, start by using the search (magnifying glass) and typing the name of a page you access frequently such as “Released Production Orders.” When it appears in the list, click the bookmark icon next to it. This will instantly add it to your Role Center action bar for quick access. You can also bookmark a page directly from the top-right corner of the page if you’re already working on it.
This small tip can lead to big efficiency gains by reducing clicks and search time throughout your day.
Use Focus Mode for Easier Filtering in Line Sections
When dealing with long orders or transactions, filtering through data can become cumbersome. Focus Mode makes it easier to filter and manage large datasets with a cleaner and expanded view.
You can activate Focus Mode by clicking the icon in the upper-right corner of the line section.
It will expand the line items into a larger, dedicated workspace, with no more tiny rows squeezed between header info and footers.
From there, you’ll get full list page filtering functionality, just like you would in any BC list.
Create Ad Hoc Reports with Copilot Using Natural Language in Analysis Mode
This next tip is a game-changer for anyone who wants quick insights from BC data without having to build custom reports or export them to Excel. With Analysis Mode, you can turn any list screen (like posted sales invoices, general ledger entries, or posted orders) into a dynamic, pivot-style report with just a few clicks, and a little help from natural language and Microsoft Copilot.
Here’s how it works:
- Start by navigating to a list page and click the Edit in Analysis Mode icon.
- Once you’re in Analysis Mode, click Create New Analysis.
- From here, simply type a request in plain English, like: “Show sales for 2025 by month”
- BC will generate a pivot-style report using your criteria. You can refine it further with additional prompts, such as:
- “Group by customer name”
- “Move customer name up”
- “Open invoices only”
Each step reshapes your view, helping you determine exactly the insight you’re after. It’s fast, intuitive, and incredibly powerful for making data-driven decisions, right inside the application.
Get Started with Simple, Visual Cash Flow Forecasting
Cash flow forecasting in BC doesn't need to be complicated. If you're looking for a simple way to dip your toes into cash flow forecasting, this tip is for you.
Start by navigating to Cash Flow Forecasts under Cash Management, and create a new forecast, something like “Cash Flow 2025.”
Enable the option to show the forecast as a chart in your Role Center for quick visibility. Then, define your date range and select your default budget.
Next, head to the Cash Flow Worksheet and click Suggest Worksheet Lines. From here, enable options like:
- Liquid funds
- Receivables
- Sales orders
- Payables
- Purchase orders
- Budget
Be sure to choose the correct forecast from the dropdown (and keep an eye out for the AI forecast option coming soon!). Click OK, then Register to lock in your data.
Now, your Role Center will display a snapshot of your cash position, including receivables, orders, and liquid funds. Use Cash Flow Availability by Periods view to analyze by net change or balance at date, and easily switch between time frames such as monthly views.
Finally, for a more portable format, navigate to the Cash Flow Date List, input your desired range (e.g., 01/01/25 for 12 monthly periods), and export the data to Excel. The result is a clean, grouped report by type and month that you can share or build on.
Supercharge Your Search with BC's Advanced Features
We’re all familiar with using the magnifying glass in BC to search for terms like “purchase” and quickly access related pages, reports, and functions. But did you know there’s a more powerful way to search? Let’s take it up a notch.
Instead of just typing a general term, you can search for more specific data, like a customer name. For instance, if you type in a customer's name, BC will not only find related customer records but also transactions, contacts, ledger entries, and more, all related to that customer. It’s a quick and efficient way to pinpoint exactly what you need.
You can even take it a step further and search by item number or name. Just type in the item you’re interested in and watch it pull up the relevant sales data. When you select all the items, you’ll see a comprehensive list of posted sales invoices, showing you the sales date and quantity sold for each item. It’s a robust, lightning-fast search feature that gives you a deep dive into your data, all at your fingertips.
Streamline Recurring Journal Entries and Allocations in Business Central
If you work with recurring journal entries, whether for period-end transactions or accrual-based accounting, BC offers a quick way to set them up. You might be familiar with creating a recurring journal by typing in “Recurring General Journal” and selecting a recurring method such as Reversing Fixed or Reversing Variable. This will automatically set up entries for the next period and allow you to set up a recurring frequency with an expiration date.
But here’s a neat trick you may not know, you can also handle deferrals and allocations directly within your general journal. For example, let’s say you have an insurance charge of $12,000. When you select the Deferral Code, you can set up the system to amortize it over a specified period, say 12 months. After posting, BC will automatically allocate the amounts into the correct accounts for each period based on your deferral schedule.
Furthermore, if you’re dealing with allocations, you can select the Allocation Account type in your journal. For instance, if you’re allocating wages across different account types (hourly, salary, overtime), BC lets you set up percentages for each allocation. Once posted, the system will distribute these amounts to the corresponding accounts.
This feature makes it incredibly easy to manage amortizations and allocations without manual intervention, saving time and reducing the potential for errors.
Bonus Feature! Discover the New Sales Agent in Business Central
The Sales Agent is an exciting new feature that is currently rolling out. This new functionality will increase efficiency in your workflows by automating certain tasks. We anticipate this exciting new feature will only improve as more updates are released.
To access it, look for the Sales Agent icon in the top-right corner of your screen. Once you click on it, a fresh, intuitive window pops up with key information and an overview of your sales activities.
One of the highlights here is the ability to monitor incoming emails. The system can read emails, recognize the sender, and determine what the customer is asking. It will then learn based on historical interactions and help you better understand available products or services and respond accordingly.
In addition to email tracking, the Sales Agent can also automatically address common inquiries with pre-set responses, whether it's pricing, product availability, or specific order questions. If you want to extend this further, you can create sales documents straight from these interactions. You can either generate a quote or turn a quote into a sales order without leaving the screen!
This feature is evolving rapidly, and as we look ahead, expect similar tools for payables and accounts payable workflows.
Honorable Mentions - Additional Dynamics 365 Business Central Features You Can Use Right Now
While the following features didn’t quite cut into the “Top Ten”, they’re still incredibly valuable and deserve a quick mention. Here are three honorable mentions that can make a big difference in your BC experience:
1. Feature Management: Stay Ahead with New Updates
Feature Management lets you peek into what's coming next for BC. If you want to know about upcoming features and test them out before they’re released, this tool allows you to enable and experiment with new options in your sandbox environment. It's an excellent way to stay ahead and prepare for future updates.
2. Editing General Ledger Entries for Better Descriptions
Need to make your General Ledger entries more meaningful? In BC, you can edit the descriptions of your posted entries. Simply go to GL Entries, click Edit List, and add custom descriptions like "Period One Suda Expense." This enhances clarity and helps streamline the closing process for periods, saving valuable time.
3. Integrating BC with Teams
Take your BC experience to the next level by integrating it with Microsoft Teams. Once set up, you can access any part of BC directly from Teams without jumping between browsers or tabs. This integration makes it easier to collaborate, track tasks, and manage your operations without leaving Teams.
Now, let’s take a look at what’s next and explore how you can continue to optimize your experience with BC moving forward.
What to Expect with Business Central in the Future
As BC continues to evolve, Microsoft will keep creating new and innovative solutions. To stay in the know, there are a few key resources and actions you can take to stay up to date and maybe even come up with your own features, including:
- Explore the Learn.microsoft.com Website: This site provides comprehensive documentation on new features, upcoming changes, and historical functionality. It's a great way to stay up-to-date and possibly discover hidden gems.
- Visit Experience.Dynamics.com: This platform allows you to vote on ideas for BC, helping Microsoft develop the application based on user needs. It’s a great way to get involved and influence the future of the platform.
- Submit Your Ideas: At Experience.Dynamics.com, you can also submit suggestions for improving BC. This is your chance to make your voice heard. Submit ideas and see how others in the community engage with them.
- Stay in Touch with Stoneridge Software: Our team is constantly monitoring Microsoft solutions for new features and functionalities you can use to enhance your business processes. When you work with the Stoneridge team, you gain access to a team of experts who can help you implement and optimize these features.
Talk to the Stoneridge Team to Learn More!
Reach out to our team today to start getting the most out of Business Central! Whether you are a seasoned user looking for more ways to streamline workflows or are new to BC, our team can help you get the most out of your investment.
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